Two Jack Lake. The most perfect place for a picnic…read more 5 stars - Early May conditions. The conditions were just right. In early May when all of the other lakes in Banff are still frozen, Two Jack was free flowing with that glacier blue water. Wow! The sun is perfectly placed when you go around noon. Bring a picnic lunch and soak it in. 5 stars - Peaceful setting. I hesitate to share this review with you because this place is not too overcrowded. After a stop at Lake Louise where we felt overwhelmed with the amount of people, we made a stop here and were so happy we did. With less people it felt so peaceful. And everyone here wasn't busy snapping pictures, but just there to enjoy the surrounding beauty of nature. That's what you should come here to do!! I'll be back to enjoy Two Jack Lake again soon!!

We adored this campground!…read more Location: In the heart of Banff National Park. An easy coupla right turns off the TransCanada. Up a beautiful mountain road going 50km/h it's a super nice drive. The campground is a few loops that are easy to access but the higher numbers are literally right next to the road with few trees as a barrier (i.e. roads are visible and cars are audible). Campsites: We stayed at site 46...it was a pretty good option but not the best. We were surrounded by a yurt on one side, a campsite on the other and 3 campsites in front of us all perfectly visible because the trees are tall and thin and sparse between the sites. But we had a beautiful view through the trees of this opening where the mountains and Two Jack Lake are visible. Sites 1-13 and 55-74 should be entirely avoided in my opinion....they are visible from the road and from them you can see and hear the road perfectly (almost no obstruction). Sites 14-35 are walk-ins and hit or miss with the choices...some are good choices because of the view of the mountains and lake...others suk cuz they're practically glued to one another with little buffer space. Sites 36-54 are a mixture of sites and yurts (that are so nice we actually ended up regretting not getting one of those despite being avid tent campers) the even numbers are mostly along the trail, mostly with view of mountains and lake, mostly beautiful sites. They are hit and miss because of the privacy (or rather lack thereof) between the sites...but the beautiful view and tranquility for the most part makes it worth it. I really loved site 42 but despite booking the very first possible day in January 2017 for June 2017 we still didn't get even one of the 4 sites we tried to get. Scenery: So pristine. So picturesque. So breathtakingly seriously awesome. And the smell of the mountain air and the pines in the forest oh wow! The brisk mountain air and the turquoise and marine blue lake surrounded by the snow capped moutains that bask in the sun in the almost neverending sun set (10pm still totally bright out!!)...oh wow! Weather: mountain weather... It rained a LOT. It was cold a LOT. It was a bit windy especially when it rained. The clouds swirled and whirled and for the most part you have no idea if it will rainy or be sunny from one minute to the next. And likely will end up being both. BUILD A WIND AND RAIN SHELTER ASAP! Commodities/Accommodations: - DOGS ALLOWED!! - Bathrooms: easily accessible and close at all times, clean, flushable toilets, hot water, those 15-second high pressured hot showers (loved those!), high pressure warm air hand dryer, never waited. - All-You-Can-Burn-Firewood : AYCBF!! There's a pile that they replenish several times through the day, it does get wet when it rains but the wood burned super well despite that (plus we gathered a bunch to keep dry under a tarp so that helped), help yourself to all you can carry there's always plenty!! - Fire pits are short iron rings with attached grills and two side plates...super efficient and perfect. - Picnic tables are gigantic, thick and immovable but usually close enough to the fire anyways so makes for nice dinners but u could still put a kitchen tent up if u wanted - Yurt sites seemed to have electricity access they also apparently came with propane and these kool stove things - Ice NOT AVAILABLE at the campground for purchase?!? No camp store on site. Had to drive to Banff (12 minute drive no biggy) and buy ice at a gas station (4$ per bag yo!!!) - Sites are usually big enough for any type of trailer/RV and / or tents n shelters combinations - there are large kitchen shelter structures u can bring ur firewood and use the wood stove n make a meal in the shelter in the rain, they're big enough for 4-5 familes to use at once but were usually empty. Prices: ~41$ per night June 2017 (National Park entrance fee waived with Parks Canada free entry for Canada's 150th anniversary so I have no idea how much more it woulda been)...seems pretty pricey but firewood included so not so much actually. Activities: Go see Banff and Lake Minnewanka while ur in the area! Each about 10 minutes either direction and both totally worth it!! Can purchase fishing licenses or rent boats from Lake Minnewanka. Plenty of hiking trails ...that make or may not be open due to wildlife... Wildlife: Bears, wolves: we didn't see any but there were sightings in the area prior to our arrival. Plenty of geese. Plenty of ginormous ravens. Herons. A few large mystery birds of prey. Long horn rams at Lake Minnewanka (guaranteed photo ops they're all chillin on the road). Elk (which kept their distance). Saw plenty of lil minnows in the lake but didn't end up buying licenses so didn't fish. A few mini squirrels or long tailed chipmunks...hard to say for sure. Plenty of deer. Very very few insects flying or otherwise...even the bees were awesome but huge (not aggressive or invasive, just hey how are u and fly away)

The Basics: Firepits, firewood, hitching rails (For horses, yo.), outhouses, food storage lockers…read more Tombstone campground just might take my new beginners backcountry cake. Here's why: It's easy to get to, but the walk is wonderful. At just over 7kms from the road, Tombstone campground gets you significantly away from society. You're far enough away to experience a mountain range with a scenic valley and not another human in sight. Once you're up the first hill, the walk is very flat. It's rugged and off road enough to be interesting, but it spends it's time meandering through the valley, offering you lush fields with ample views and spectacular mountainscapes. There's a few short day hikes from the campground. At only 7.5-ish kms, you could start in the morning and arrive at the campsite for lunch. From here, you could set up camp, have lunch and easily embark on one of the 8km-ish day hikes within the area to return to your already set up camp in the evening, looking forward to the food and campfire that awaits. This is an excellent idea. Just be cause you hauled all your food and accommodations way out into the wilderness, doesn't mean your daylight and energy is best spent lugging that stuff around. After ditching out stuff, we decided to make the easy trek up to the tombstone lakes, which involved some relaxing, a bit of skree scrambling and some Pika viewing. Bring your rod and reel if you're heading to Tombstone. Just sitting by the waters edge we saw many trout swim by. Some fresh fish for dinner would really up the camping experience. As far as backcountry campgrounds go, this one is full featured with each site having its own firepit and picnic table. There are no tent pads, but leave it up to you to choose the best location for your tent, from sheltered and tree'd in, to out in the open. We put our faith in our shelter and despite the thunderstorm warnings chose a spot overlooking the ridge. Thankfully the weather let up so being exposed to the sunshine was a good thing. Tombstone makes for a wonderful overnight adventure in the backcountry without having to haul your gear the whole way. The mostly flat and downhill 7km exit for for an easy exit too.

I did one of my trail runs with my running group here at Spray Valley Provincial Park. This was…read moredefinitely the most scenic run that I did during my trip. Spray Valley Provincial Park is a provincial park located along the Spray River in Alberta, Canada. Spray Valley borders Banff National Park. The park features forests, alpine lakes and rugged peaks. Activities in Spray Valley include camping, hiking, canoeing and fishing. We ran on the Chester Lake Trail to beautiful Chester Lake. The views along the way were just breathtaking. At the lake, you get a glimpse of both Gusty Peak and The Fortress. The water was so clear and had a nice reflection of the surrounding mountains and clouds. I stopped at the foot of the lake to enjoy its beauty before jumping back onto the trail to finish my run. The trails in Spray Valley Provincial Park are a mix of easy, moderate and challenging trails. Spray Lakes West Campground is the main campground in Spray Valley. There are many lakes within the park with Spray Lakes Reservoir being the largest. The Smith-Dorrien Trail (also known as Spray Lakes Road) is a scenic drive on a dirt road that has incredible views of the valley and mountains. A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required for vehicle parking.

A friend of mine recommended the Troll Hike in Kananaskis country so we ducked out of Banff for an…read moreafternoon of exploring the parks just outside. It was beautiful! Mountains galore and lots of great outdoorsy opportunities for winter and warmer weather alike. During our drive we happened to see a bunch of guys in a parking lot near the road loading and unloading kayaks. Most of the water we had seen had been frozen so I was curious to see what the river looked like so my husband and I pulled over. I read the little guide at the start of the trailhead and it informed us that this part of the river is rapids heavy and a well loved route for extreme kayakers, with a course mapped out with markers and everything. We took the short stroll to the water and enjoyed watching a few fellas do their thing in the raging water. The water was bright blue and SO beautiful. It was a highlight of our day and we didn't even plan on it! Check it out if you're in the area. I wish I could remember where exactly it was in the park, but follow the river and you should be able to find it!

We have started and finished our camping season here for the passed 3 years. Even in the spring…read moresnow.... Friendly staff, and very well maintained grounds and clean bathrooms. A small fee for the showers, and laundry on site, as well and a dump station. They are pet friendly, with a city run off leash area right beside the grounds. They are close to downtown Cochrane and a short drive to Calgary and Banff. Nice bike paths and the sports center is right outside the gates.

This is suck a nice place. Everywhere in the campground very clean. We are stay here for a month…read more$945(per night $43). Had free wifi and you can pay more data. Bathroom very clean $2 for shower. Also Washing machine very clean $3 per machine 25 minutes for wash. 50 minutes for dry. I am very impressed with walking tail. Because the campground near river very nice. All staff here very friendly also. Love this place.

All I can say after reading a couple of the other reviews is "REALLY?"…read more.. I've found the staff that run ANY Kananaskis campground to try unbelievably hard to make your stay pleasant. They clean up the site after the previous renter leaves, and they try to keep a lid on noisy sites while still letting people have fun. The Conservation Officers are there for some very real reasons. If you get a visit from them, they are doing the rest of us a favor by encouraging your behavior to change, so that they don't have to deal with the consequences of a bear becoming aggressive. As much as I would prefer to be alone when I'm out there, I don't think these reviews are fair. After all, outhouses are what they are, and plowing in a bunch of plumbing means the overall quality of the experience goes down, since the sites generally get closer, and the trees in between sites disappear. Lots of golf course style sites in other parks, if you want a flushing biffy and cell phone service, try Tunnel Mountain in Banff. They've almost paved the whole park by now, so you might feel more at home. If you have a family and are looking to reserve a site in a good location, close to lots of things to do, in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, and you want your vacation to go smoothly, I would strongly recommend you try this Campground. Yes, there are Bears, Bugs, and Outhouses. Sometimes Whisky Jacks, Hoary Marmots, Fishers, Coyotes, Wolves, some of the largest Bull Trout in Western Canada, and Great Horned Owls. They live there. We're just visiting....

The staff there is shady. our first time camping in a bear…read morecountry. ( didn't pay attention to the sigh at the entrance) We woke up to a conservation officer. got a ticket for almost $200 for having beers and empties out. ( seriously, 2 cans of beer in a cooler and some empties) Did a little research after i got home, apparently staffs normally leave a note or knock on your door if you are leaving anything out and they will call the officer if you don't clean up. But we had no warnings at all!!!!!!! only one sign before you enter the campground. on top of that, NO CELL PHONE RECEPTION 40 MINS DRIVE IF YOU NEED IT. LOVELY. I DON'T THINK THEY TELL YOU THAT WHEN U BOOK IT EITHER Never going back there again !!!!!

Amazing views but be careful of bears in the area! There are many trails nearby and outhouses. You…read morecannot go around the whole lake but beautiful views of great mountains. Value 5/5 Atmosphere 5/5 Service 3/5 Quality 4/5 17/20

Serenity can be found here. It's right off Icefields Parkway, you can't miss it. In off peak season…read moreit isn't as crowded with people and it's a bit more peaceful. There is ample parking too.

I only spent one evening at Waterfowl Lake on the way to Jasper. What I liked about it, was that…read moreit had a "laid back" crowd. The campground was reasonably quiet and even though there were lots of people, it wasn`t packed. There were a fair number of people there, but my impression was that they were there to enjoy the space. The scenery was gorgerous. I uplaoded some pictures of the sceneary around the campground. The camp sights are surrounded by tall trees, and there are washrooms and free firewood available. The campground was a little over $20 a night and you are able to pay by credit card, which was convenient.

I wanted to give this review 2 stars based on my personal experience, but Bow Valley earns one more…read morestar for the potential I saw there. About 15 minutes before hitting Canmore on the way from Calgary, 10 minutes off the highway Bow Valley is a Provincial Park camp ground and day use park. A winding road took us toward the camp site, with great mountain views, a lake and picnic areas. $31 / night per lot, and another $23 for a second unit (tent) on the site. We arrived and checked in, met our friends there and got to setting up. Our site was pretty much in a field, NOTHING was level anywhere, rolls and dips, and a steady slope heading toward the back of the site. The overhead view on the website looked much nicer than the reality of the site. We were told that we can not set up anything on the grass, everything had to be on the gravel.. not very comfortable. So our tent had to go on a gravel slope? No thank you, we got our $23/night back and stayed in our friends trailer. Not a great start to the trip, but cold beer made the evening better. One big plus they have, is a very well maintained and clean bathrooms and showers. Much better than other sites we have gone to. So for the extra star, we walked around the site and made our way down to the river. The sites along the water are amazing! Lots of trees, well landscaped, and water access. IF we go back, it would have to be one of those sites. So great potential if you get the good spots. Basically from what we saw, half the sites were amazing, treed in proper camp sites, and the other half were in a field with landscaping done to resemble the surface of the moon. 2 Star personal experience, but one bonus star for potential! Either way, it is 45 minutes outside of Calgary, and a weekend getaway with friends is always good!

Their bow river Camp ground was good, clean and well maintained. What burns my chapps is it is a…read morefirst come. First serve. (Which is fine) I came out three days early to find a spot and took the last unit. But what gets me is now after I payed for extra days to reserve a spot. They are letting anyone set up tents on the green space. And not charging them. Wish I had known that before I dropped the cash. So FYI everyone. Free camping in green areas at this site! Don't bother paying because they obviously enforce none of their "posted" rules. And when we asked staff about it they said green space was "overflow" there's nothing on the map about overflow. Just the marked sites. Ill def be lodging a complaint. And asking for my money back.

Beautiful and exhilarating, the Canadian Rockies in general, and The Three Sisters in particular…read more When asked, a local tour guide said their individual names are Faith, Hope and Charity. Very nice. The second tour guide disagreed, saying their names are Big Sister, Middle Sister and Little Sister. I found this was repeated on Wikipedia ... and is there any higher authority? Why, yes, the lady at the Canadian Tourist Information Kiosk, who said the locals, the real people who live here, refer to the Three Sisters as Beebee, Ceecee and Deedee. So, what's in a name? The Three Sisters, by any name, are Beautiful and Exhilarating. Five-Stars.

As gorgeous as they are iconic - The Three Sisters stand guard over, no that's not right... The…read moreThree Sisters are all about fun, not protection. They're an icon for a town that exists for outdoor recreation and natural beauty. While The greatest cities in the world are know for and defined by their skylines, none of them even come close to Canmore's. Whether you'd prefer to enjoy them while camping, hiking, biking, or enjoying a glass of wine with a fine meal, Faith, Charity and Hope will make your experience all that much better.